The Maude Weir sediments. 1. Desorption and sorption of phosphorus,and related changes in mineral magnetic properties after desorption

Algal blooms frequently occur in the Maude Weir in the Murrumbidgee River of NSW, which are related to the availability of nutrients, particularly phosphorus. A clayey sediment from the bottom released P to the water when kept under reducing conditions, but did not release P when the supernatant water was aerated. The same material, with and without aeration, sorbed P when resuspended in water containing 1 mg P L⁻¹. The resuspended anaerobic material adsorbed almost twice as much as the same material under aerobic conditions. Vigorous mixing, simulating transport breakage and abrasion, caused a substantial increase in sorption, with the effect being greater for the aerobic material. This was attributed to fragmentation of iron oxide aggregates formed during oxidation. Mineral magnetic properties, susceptibility and remanence ratios SIRM/χ, SIRM/ARM and IRMh%, of the material from the desorption experiment reflected changes in the chemical state of iron caused by oxidation and reduction. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quaternary drainage network reorganization in the Colombian Eastern Cordillera plateau

Dramatic drainage reorganization from initial longitudinal to transversal domains has occurred in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. We perform a regional analysis of drainage basin geometry and transformed river profiles based on the integral form of the slope-area scaling, to investigate the dynamic state of drainage networks and to predict the degree of drainage reorganization in this region. We propose a new model of drainage rearrangement for the Eastern Cordillera, based on the analyses of knickpoint distribution, normalized river profiles, landforms characteristic of river capture, erosion rates and palaeodrainage data. We establish that the oldest longitudinal basin captured by the Magdalena River network was the Suárez Basin at ≈409 ka, inferring the timing of abandonment of a river terrace using in situ produced cosmogenic beryllium-10 (¹⁰Be) depth profiles and providing a first estimation of incision rate of 0.07 mm/yr. We integrate published geochronologic data and interpret the last capture of the Sabana de Bogotá, providing a minimum age of the basin opening to the Magdalena drainage at ≈38 ka. Our results suggest that the Magdalena basin Increased its drainage area by integrating the closed basins from the western flank of the Eastern Cordillera. Our study also suggests that the Magdalena basin is an aggressor compared to the basins located in the eastern flank of the orogen and provides a framework for examining drainage reorganization within the Eastern Cordillera and in similar orogenic settings. The results improve our understanding of headward integration of closed basins across orogenic plateaux. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial patterns and environmental drivers of benthic infaunal community structure and ecosystem function on the New Zealand continental margin

To investigate regional drivers of spatial patterns in macro- and meio-faunal community structure (abundance, biomass and taxonomic diversity) and ecosystem function (sediment community oxygen consumption [SCOC]), we sampled two regions in close proximity on New Zealand's continental margin—the Chatham Rise and the Challenger Plateau. Sites (n = 15) were selected in water depths ranging from 266–1212 m to generate a gradient in sedimentary properties and, in particular, surface pelagic productivity. Both macro- and meio-fauna abundance and biomass was 2–3.5 times higher on the Chatham Rise than on the Challenger Plateau, reflecting regional differences in pelagic primary production. We also found significant inter- and intra-regional differences in macro-fauna taxonomic diversity with two distinctive site groupings in each region. Univariate and multivariate measures of macro-fauna community attributes were most strongly correlated with sediment photosynthetic pigment (explaining 24%–59% of the variation). Sediment pigment content was as equally important in explaining meio-fauna community structure (36%–7%). Unlike community structure, SCOC was most strongly correlated with depth (44%), most likely reflecting temperature effects on benthic metabolism. Our results highlight the importance of a benthic labile food supply in structuring infaunal communities on continental margins and emphasise a tight coupling between pelagic and benthic habitats.     

Active sonar detection in shallow water using the Page test

The use of active sonar in shallow water results in received echoes that may be considerably spread in time compared to the resolution of the transmitted waveform. The duration and structure of the spreading and the time of occurrence of the received echo are unknown without accurate knowledge of the environment and a priori information on the location and reflection properties of the target. A sequential detector based on the Page test is proposed for the detection of time-spread active sonar echoes. The detector also provides estimates of the starting and stopping times of the received echo. This signal segmentation is crucial to allow further processing such as more accurate range and bearing localization, depth localization, or classification. The detector is designed to exploit the time spreading of the received echo and is tuned as a function of range to the expected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as determined by the transmitted signal power, transmission loss, approximate target strength, and the estimated noise background level. The theoretical false alarm and detection performance of the proposed detector, the standard Page test, and the conventional thresholded matched filter detector are compared as a function of range, echo duration, SNR, and the mismatch between the actual and assumed SNR. The proposed detector and the standard Page test are seen to perform better than the conventional thresholded matched filter detector as soon as the received echo is minimally spread in time. The use of the proposed detector and the standard Page test in active sonar is illustrated with reverberation data containing target-like echoes from geological features, where it was seen that the proposed detector was able to suppress reverberation generated false alarms that were detected by the standard Page test     

Integrating a GIS with an expert system to identify and manage dryland salinization

To manage secondary dryland salinization successfully a coordinated regional management approach must be implemented. This paper considers the development of an interactive land classification methodology that identifies key land areas associated with the problem and then conveys information regarding the decision-making process to the end user. The developed system, Salt Manager, utilizes an expert system, a geographic information system, remotely sensed information and a relational database management system to implement the land classification method. Consideration is given in the paper to the salinization process, the problem of system integration and the provision of contextual information via graphic and textual formats.     

Coupled numerical–analytical approach to landscape evolution modeling

The Earth's topography is shaped by surface processes that operate on various scales. In particular, river processes control landscape dynamics over large length scales, whereas hillslope processes control the dynamics over smaller length scales. This scale separation challenges numerical treatments of landscape evolution that use space discretization. Large grid spacing cannot account for the dynamics of water divides that control drainage area competition, and erosion rate and slope distribution. Small grid spacing that properly accounts for divide dynamics is computationally inefficient when studying large domains. Here we propose a new approach for landscape evolution modeling that couples irregular grid‐based numerical solutions for the large‐scale fluvial dynamics and continuum‐based analytical solutions for the small‐scale fluvial and hillslope dynamics. The new approach is implemented in the landscape evolution model DAC (divide and capture). The geometrical and topological characteristics of DAC's landscapes show compatibility with those of natural landscapes. A comparative study shows that, even with large grid spacing, DAC predictions fit well an analytical solution for divide migration in the presence of horizontal advection of topography. In addition, DAC is used to study some outstanding problems in landscape evolution. (i) The time to steady‐state is investigated and simulations show that steady‐state requires much more time to achieve than predicted by fixed area calculations, due to divides migration and persistent reorganization of low‐order streams. (ii) Large‐scale stream captures in a strike‐slip environment are studied and show a distinct pattern of erosion rates that can be used to identify recent capture events. (iii) Three tectono‐climatic mechanisms that can lead to asymmetric mountains are studied. Each of the mechanisms produces a distinct morphology and erosion rate distribution. Application to the Southern Alps of New Zealand suggests that tectonic advection, precipitation gradients and non‐uniform tectonic uplift act together to shape the first‐order topography of this mountain range. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultramafic rocks of the Widgiemooltha-Norseman area,Western Australia: Petrological diversity,geochemistry and mineralisation

Mineral exploration of the Widgiemooltha-Norseman region of Western Australia has located massive and disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation.This paper discusses the geological setting of the nickel sulphide mineralisation with reference to the stratigraphy, structure and metamorphism of the ultramafic sequence and spatially associated rocks. The amphibolite facies metamorphosed ultramafic rocks of the Widgiemooltha area are compared with greenschist metamorphosed ultramafic rocks at Eundynie, which exhibit excellently preserved pseudomorphs of primary igneous textures.Some 2000 ultramafic rock samples were analysed for 13 element/oxides and divided into four major mineralogically and texturally distinct groups. The data were analysed statistically by determination of means and standard deviations and multiple regression analyses.The data suggest differentiation of a magma at depth followed by a vast outpouring of lava to produce picritic-peridotitic rocks. The flows crystallised with upper spinifex zones and lower euhedral-olivine zones in varying proportions dependent on magma composition. The development of spinifex texture is compositionally controlled. This texture is not developed in rocks with MgO contents greater than 26% (± 2%).The comparison of the ultramafics of the Widgiemooltha and Eundynie areas indicates that talc-carbonate formation and serpentinization have modified primary igneous textures and geochemistries, resulting in the production of a diverse group of rock types. Such post-magmatic alteration processes in association with structural elements are considered important in the upgrading of nickel sulphide mineralisation.